12TH of JULY

[Redmurty]

Anyway if this topic gets 1690 views do we have a wee celebration :whistle:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

That's naughty :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

and another post towards the total

cheers Spud

[92kk k100lt 193214]

And another one.....helped me remember my history lessons.

[ullukk]

Rode from Westport to Kinvara on the 12th of July, I was half way into my fortnight biking holiday taking in Isle of Man, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, remember it being the only day had to put on the waterproofs. It was my first visit to Northern Ireland and really enjoyed the coast ride from Belfast to Ballymoney where i stayed for a couple of nights, please excuse my 12th of July ignorance but I didn't expect to see so many union flags flying high, thought they looked impressive and made the place look very colourful, by the way not into the sectarian stuff one bit but just thought they looked good. Really enjoyed my week and half riding round Northern and Republic of Ireland sticking mainly to coastal roads and I will be back for more in the near future.

[92kk k100lt 193214]

I did that run with my son in 2010, was a lovely trip. We took the coast road round and enjoyed it immensely.

I spent July 12th in Belfast in 1981 and the colour and atmosphere was much better than the newspapers would have us believe.

[Redmurty]

getting closer (thumbs)

cheers Spud

[Flintlock]

getting closer (thumbs)

cheers Spud

Damit missed it, i'll just put the sash away for another year :whistle:

[92kk k100lt 193214]

getting closer (thumbs)

cheers Spud

Damit missed it, i'll just put the sash away for another year :whistle:

If the [strike]hat[/strike] sash fits, wear it.

Anyway why not come to Hook for 12th next year?? It will be a Sunday and just perfect for an outing. All things going well I hope to be still around and it would make a great meet up.

[Mac 60]

Not wanting to drag this out but its not all one sided. Ive often gone touring down south as they say up here. A couple of years ago i was across the border with a mate who rode a Triumph Adventure. We were at a rally and had a good night but when we got up in the morning some one had singled out his Triumph and scored IRA into the tank. A real fecking mess. We had a good idea who it was as a cetain guy had made a comment that night about his Triumph rat badge, which we just shrugged off. Anyway my mate isent the sort of guy you want to mess with and went looking for this guy but he,d cleared off very early that morning. We had words with the event organisers and left. Couple of days later a certain Back patch club contacted my mate voiceing their annoyance with what had happened the bike. He left it with them so to speak. But as i now ride a Triumph its made me wary about touring across the border solo and that stinks.

[Redmurty]

Not wanting to drag this out but its not all one sided. Ive often gone touring down south as they say up here. A couple of years ago i was across the border with a mate who rode a Triumph Adventure. We were at a rally and had a good night but when we got up in the morning some one had singled out his Triumph and scored IRA into the tank. A real fecking mess. We had a good idea who it was as a cetain guy had made a comment that night about his Triumph rat badge, which we just shrugged off. Anyway my mate isent the sort of guy you want to mess with and went looking for this guy but he,d cleared off very early that morning. We had words with the event organisers and left. Couple of days later a certain Back patch club contacted my mate voiceing their annoyance with what had happened the bike. He left it with them so to speak. But as i now ride a Triumph its made me wary about touring across the border solo and that stinks.

Brave man scratching a tank and legging it :pinch: there are idiots everywhere

cheers Spud

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Not wanting to drag this out but its not all one sided. Ive often gone touring down south as they say up here. A couple of years ago i was across the border with a mate who rode a Triumph Adventure. We were at a rally and had a good night but when we got up in the morning some one had singled out his Triumph and scored IRA into the tank. A real fecking mess. We had a good idea who it was as a cetain guy had made a comment that night about his Triumph rat badge, which we just shrugged off. Anyway my mate isent the sort of guy you want to mess with and went looking for this guy but he,d cleared off very early that morning. We had words with the event organisers and left. Couple of days later a certain Back patch club contacted my mate voiceing their annoyance with what had happened the bike. He left it with them so to speak. But as i now ride a Triumph its made me wary about touring across the border solo and that stinks.

That is something no true biker down here will condone. I know when we left our bikes parked overnight up north someone in the hotel suggested parking number plate up against a wall which we did. Same guy was a truly excellent host for the weekend.

When I go strange places I use a bike cover. But I have to say the welcome up north was genuine and never felt anything less irrespective of what flags were flying where. I don't however do rallies here as I found many years ago, back in the 70s even, that somehow or other there are always some hangers on to cause a bit of bother in one way or another. I have a few friends up north who regularly tour down south solo and enjoy it immensely. One of them was instrumental in getting a few of us up north as he feared we would not be interested. He treated us to the north Antrim Coast, Torr Head Drive and set us up at Tollymore Forest Park for a great camp site. Of course it helped that my grandfather grew up in the next village from him. You do get stupid prejudices everywhere and your experience was another example. Another extreme I encountered was on a construction project 'down south' where a subcontractor was from up north with a large number of guys on the site. One day a few flags appeared then a few more to counter it. Then management called them all in and explained everyone was there for work and not politics and simply asked what other sites did they see flags flying. Of course none and they left it at that. But a few weeks later those same guys were off drinking together in the one pub drinking and buying beer for each other and singing each others songs as if they were one. The best comment I got out of one of the guys up north was that he expected it to be so different and why couldn't it be like this at home.

I can't fix the tank at this stage but if you make it down to Cork I will be happy to meet you for and treat you to a bite and a beer. Might even take you to meet this guy too:

http://www.koconnellfish.com/images/siz ... 145x95.jpg
http://www.koconnellfish.com/news/when-pat-met-liz

As the saying goes, if Queen Elizabeth can come and feel free to leave her minders and walk the streets of Cork, something she did not do anywhere else here, that says it all.

A few of us have a camping trip planned in a lovely place called www.norevalleypark.com [about 4 miles from Junction 9 on M9, motorway all the way if you want] on weekend of August 8th. I have decided to go over on the Wednesday and enjoy some relaxation. Its bike friendly and us K100 riders [and others to add] expect our few friends from Belfast to be coming down. We meet at Stradbally Fayre near Portlaoise on the Saturday morning about 9.30am for a good breakfast and a day out. Just 6 miles off the M8 its motorway from Belfast all the way. There is bike racing on at Faugheen on the Saturday and Sunday so some may head off to that. If you make breakfast is on us!